Receptacle and plug.



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e. WRIGHT.

' RECEPTACLE AND PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13.' 1906.

1,171,914.` Patented Feb.15,1916.

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L GILBERT WRrGHT.

Attu.

marrEn srArEs PATENT oErioE.

GILBERT WRIGHT, 0E PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RECEPTACLE AND PLUG.

Application led August 13, 1906.

from the here the wall or ceiling oi a room and are provided with contacts permanently connected the supply circuit and the plugs are connected the ends of the wires of portable translating devices, such as fan motors, heating apparatus, lamps, etc., and provided with contacts adapted to detachably engage the contacts on the receptacles so as to complete vthe electric circuit through the translating device.

The receptacles are customarily providedv with ilush wall plates with openings through which the plugs are inserted to make connection with` the contacts carried thereby, and doors or shutters are provided for closing the openings when the plugs are removed.

Boers as ordinarily used are objectionable on account of the liability of their being left open and projecting out from the plate and presenting unsightly appearance and often causing injury by their sharp unprotected corners, and the other forms of shutters heretofore in use are objectionable on account of their preventing the complete insertion of the plug so that a considerable portion thereof projects out from the face plate presenting an obstruction with which persons or objects are liable to comein contact to the injury of the contacts or the person or object.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of receptacle and ,attaching plugzwhereby a pleasing and artistic appearance is presented whether the parts are coupled or disengaged and the objections above pointed out e'fectually avoided.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification is shown one embodin'e'nt of my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rcuit conductor may be readilyv Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

seria1No.s3o,293. I

Figure i is a front elevation oi the receptacle and plug in coupled relation; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same with the plug detachedg Fig. 3 is a trans* verse section on line 3-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. i is a front elevation or the receptacle with the wall plate removed; Fig. 5 is a central transverse section of the plug; and Fig. 6 perspective view of one or the plug contacts removed.

The receptacle comprises a bon er porcelain or other insulating material with a central cylindrical chamber 2 in its bottom portion, and onopposite sides thereoi metal contacts 3 are secured by screws l extending through the bottom portion. The metal contacts 3 are in the form of flat metal bars which project outwardly at right angles to the bottom of the box and have attaching feet extending along the inner surface of the bottom and connect with cylindrical binding posts 5 disposed in diagonally opposite corners of the box and provided at their cuter ends-with screws 6 for engaging the current supply wires which enter the box i through holes or recesses in the outer edge thereof. At each end of the box is an attaching lug 7 by which the boX may be attached to the wall or other support, and connected to the box by screws 8 extending through holes formed in the end walls thereof. rEhe inner edges of the lugs 7 are eX- tended inwardly at 9 to form stops for' the shutter 10. The shutter consists of a block of insulating material of a shapel to correspond with the cross section of the plug and having two transverse apertures 11 of a size to permit the stationary contacts 3 to pass freely therethrough, and the outer ends of said apertures are countersunk at 12 to acilitate the positioning of the plug in re lation to the shutter. Y

The shutter has integral therewith or attached thereto, two guide blocks 13 which project rearwardly from diagonally opposite points and engage at their sides with the inner surfaces of the side and end walls of the box 1 to maintain the shutter in proper relation with the stationary contacts, and the outer ends of said guide projections are set back from the outer surface of the shutter so that upon coming in contact with the isay CIT

stops 9 the shutter will be arrested in pro er y shutter is an insulating guide sleeve 1A for the spring which thrusts against the inner ends of the sleeve 14 and the cylindrical chamber 2 in the bottom of the box tonormally maintain the shutter in its outer position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

rlhe tace plate 16 is of usual construction, and at the center it is provided with an aperture 17 corresponding to the cross section of the plug.

lhe attaching plug consists of a base portion 18 of insulating material and a detachable cap-19 of sheet metal. 'The outer end of the plugis chambered at 20 and the inner end has two transverse recesses 2-1 formed therein for the reception of the contacts 22. rll`he plug contacts each consist of.

an attaching plate 23 having tapped` holes 2A in its ends for the reception of the screws 25 which extend through the 'base portion 18, and integral contact clips 26 are bent up from opposite sides so that their adjacent faces are parallel for a greater portion of their length and suiiciently near together to frictionally engage the opposite sides of a stationary contact 3. A binding post 27 is secured to the back of the plate 23 and a U- shaped yoke 28 is secured to the front surface thereof between the clips 26. rl`he free ends of the U-shaped yoke are provided with gripping jaws 29 adapted to engage notches 3Q, cut'in the edges of the contacts 3, when the plug is in coupled' position and serve to efectually .prevent its displacement by the action ot the spring 15. 'llhe outer ends of the binding posts 27 are provided with screws 31 for securing thereto the ends of the branch circuit conductors 32. 'llhe cap 19 is cup-shaped with a central opening 33 for the passage of the branch conductors 32 and has attaching ears 34 on opposite sides which are engaged by screws 35 extending therethrough and entering a tapped block 36 located in a transverse recess in the base portion 18 of the plug.

It is to be noted that the construction of my device is such that by pulling upon the branch conductors 32 of the plug when in coupled position sufiiciently to overcome the grip of the j aws 29, a snap break between the contacts of the plug and receptacle will be effected by the sudden recoil of the shutter spring 15 and that the shutter 10 in its normal position stands sufficiently forward of the ends of the stationary contacts 3 to eii'ectually prevent an object from accidentally coming in contact therewith.

l dornot desire to restrictmyself to the particular form or arrangement of parts herein shown and described, since-it is apparent that they may be changed and modified without departing from my invention.

What ll claim as new and desire to claim by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. A receptacle having a side opening, a

plurality of stationary contacts therein opposite said opening, and an outwardly impelled shutter provided Awith aperturesv through which the contacts protrude upon displacement of the shutter.

2. A receptacle having a side opening, a plurality of stationary contacts therein opposite` to and below said opening, and a spring-pressed shutter of insulating matey rial displaceable within said receptacle and provided with apertures through which the contacts protrude upon displacement of the shutter.

3. A receptacle having a side opening, contacts secured wholly within said receptacle and projecting part way toward said opening, a spring-pressed shutter displaceable within said receptacle and provided with means for guiding it therein and with means whereby the contacts may protrude therethrough upon displacement thereof.

4. A receptacle having a side opening, a

-onally opposite corners of the box, and a shutter displaceable within said receptacle and having two guide projections adapted` to engage the other diagonally opposite corners of the box.

6. A receptacle having a side opening, stationary contacts in said receptacle, an inwardly ,displaceable shutter for said opening provided with apertures in alinement with the said contacts, a plug having contacts adapted to engage said stationary contacts, and means on`^the shutter for positioning said plug relatively to said apertures. A

7. A receptacle havinga side opening,

stationary contacts in said receptacle exl tending toward said opening, a springpressedv shutter for closing said opening and normally incl'osing said stationary contacts, and a plug provided with jaws adaptof the plug.

8. In a device of the class described, a

l2()I ed to engage said contacts upon insertion l receptacle, fixed contacts carried by the base of said receptacle, a face-plate having an aperture, means on the receptacle betvv/een the vfaceplate and the base ofthev receptacle to act as a guide for' a shutter, a shutter adapted only for rectilinear movement to normally elose'the aperture in the face-plate,V the shutter having sliding contact with the means located between the face-plate and the base of the receptacle so that the shutter may be guided by said means.,

l0. In a device of the Class described, a

receptacle, a face-plate having an aperture guided in such movement by the wall of the receptacle, means for normally press-- ing the shutter outward, and means for limiting such outward movement ofthe shutter.

1l. A box or receptacle of the class vdescribed having a face-plate provided with an opening, a Wall surrounding the opening, and closure means guided by the said Wall and always closing the interior of the box or receptacle in Whatever position the closure means may be.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of August', 1906.

GILBERT WRIGHT. 

